


Stand By Me

by JLaLa



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anxiety, Child Abuse, Complete, F/M, Kidnapping, Mentions of Suicide, One-Shot, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, everlark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:20:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23536690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JLaLa/pseuds/JLaLa
Summary: Peeta Mellark returns home to find himself mysteriously drawn to his little sister’s best friend. Trigger warnings: child abuse, kidnapping, reference to suicide
Relationships: Katniss Everdeen & Peeta Mellark
Comments: 15
Kudos: 74





	Stand By Me

This prompt was requested on Tumblr.

The plot of this is inspired by sub-plot in a K-Drama that I recently watch. Kudos if you can tell what show. :)

**_Prompt: “You’re afraid that you’ll lose me in big crowds so you always hold my hand but now you just hold my hand when there’s only, like, five people around and I’m getting very suspicious”_ **

****

_“When the night has come_

_And the land is dark_

_And the moon is the only light we see_

_No I won't be afraid_

_No I won't be afraid_

_Just as long as you stand, stand by me…”_

— _Ben E. King “Stand By Me_

Stand By Me

_“Move faster!”_

_He clutches her hand tightly as they run out of the forest._

_It’s well after midnight, too late for children their age to be out and about. Katniss’ two braids have become unraveled and her flowered nightgown is dirty and torn at its bottom. He isn’t any better with torn jeans and his ankles burning, each step agony._

_But he presses on, he needs to make sure she is safe._

_“Peeta, I’m scared,” Katniss tells him in her tiny voice. Everything about her is tiny. Except for her eyes. They are big pools of silver surrounded by dark lashes; each lash wet with tears. “I want to go home.”_

_“That’s where I’m taking you,” he grumbles. “We just have to get out of here.”_

_They walk and walk and walk…Peeta feels himself beginning to cramp up. Katniss is starting to falter. What did he expect from a child of five?_

_He looks up at the sky—a full moon. It feels like forever since he’s seen the sky._

_Tears gather in his eyes. What if his family has given up on him?_

_By some miracle, they find themselves on the main street of the town next to their own. There are people everywhere and Peeta tightens his hold on Katniss’ small hand._

_“Stay close to me,” he tells her._

_Katniss squeezes his hand. “I won’t let go.”_

_A group of people stumble out of a bar as its jukebox plays ‘Only You’ by the Platters, and Katniss presses herself to him, seeing a man fall to the ground and vomit on the concrete. Protectively, Peeta puts an arm around her as they move away from the rush of people._

_It is nearly sunrise when Peeta reaches her house; no one is probably even aware that Katniss has been gone._

_“Go right to bed,” he tells her sternly. “And, don’t go walking out of your house in the middle of the night again!”_

_Her gaze is solemn. “I promise, Peeta.” She holds out her little finger. “Pinkie swear?”_

_He indulges her and hooks their pinkies together, a tired smile of relief gracing his lips. “Go now.”_

_“Thank you for protecting me,” Katniss tells him, her cheeks perked by her sunny smile. “I’m going to marry you.”_

_“That’s stupid,” he responds. “You’re only five!”_

_However, even at the tender age of nine, Peeta is flattered at her declaration._

_This little wisp of a girl is so sure that her heart belongs to him._

_“When you’re older, you’ll find someone else to love and marry,” he says to appease her._

_“I will be older, but I will still love and marry you!” she declares, chin up defiantly._

_Peeta nods. “Okay, when we are older.”_

++++++

Peeta opens his eyes as the train cart jolts. He looks around, finding his entire compartment empty. His back aches and he is exhausted from the plane ride back to the States, followed by the four-hour train ride back to his hometown.

It’s been years since he’s been home. His family would usually visit his boarding school in England for the holiday. Eventually after school was over, his wanderlust took him away to the different sides of the world.

He chases for peace of mind, but it never comes.

Nightmares plague him even in the most beautiful of places. He found himself crouched and shaking on the balcony of his hotel in Mykonos before finally deciding to come home.

Peeta decides to walk; the Mellark Home is just a scant ten minutes away from the train station. He wants to get back into the rhythm of small-town life before he’s bombarded by his family. They are wonderful people, loving and supportive, but he often feels as if they walk on eggshells around him.

Everyone but his little sister, sunny girl that she is.

As he reaches the block where his home is, Peeta feels like he’s going back in time. Everything has remained the same; the street sign still has a sticker that Rye, his older brother, placed as a dare by one of the Hawthorne boys.

The large trailer that Haymitch Abernathy and his wife Effie use for camping trips is still parked in front of their house.

His home looms over him, a perfect two-story colonial with flower boxes at its windows and a white picket fence. His mother is an avid gardener and it shows in the perfect flower beds at the front of the house. He recognizes his sister’s namesake immediately, right by the door, and finds his mouth perking into a semblance of a smile.

A flash of white suddenly catches his peripheral vision.

Looking to the building next door, Peeta suddenly freezes.

Dark hair and grey eyes catch him. She is wearing a thin, white nightgown and the morning light catches the outline of a feminine figure. Her tanned legs hang from the porch fence she has perched herself on and her hands reach into a bucket sitting next to her.

She pulls her hands out—her fingers, delicate and graceful—before she touches them together to make a circle. Her rose-colored lips rise, and she exhales as bubble forms and flies out into the air.

Her gaze follows the bubble and a grin forms on her mouth as she watches it fly off—

“Peeta!”

Prim is running towards him, golden hair flying with her, and he catches her easily in his arms.

“You’re home!” she cries happily and Peeta smiles fondly at her. “Did you walk from the train station?”

“It wasn’t that bad,” Peeta replies, his voice raspy. “The town is nice and quiet at this time.”

“It’s always quiet around here,” Prim explains, taking his hand and leading him up the stone pathway. “Mom and Dad aren’t awake yet, but they’ll be so happy you’re back…Rye and Cashmere are coming for dinner…you’ll get to meet Baby Sarah…”

He listens dutifully but can’t help but look next door.

She is staring at him, still as tiny as ever, her hands clasped together.

He is awestruck by her innocence and happy to know that there is no darkness reflected in those lovely grey eyes.

There is only hope.

Her mouth rises in a small smile.

Before Peeta knows it, she is gone, disappearing into her home but leaving him with an unknowing ache inside.

++++++

Dinner is a happy affair.

His parents are thrilled that he is home. His mother is still the picture of elegance, her blonde hair in a perfect chignon and her smile is brings such youth to her face that it’s almost hard to believe that she is the mother of three grown children. His father, ruthless businessman that the newspapers report him to be, is actually a kind, caring person whose greatest treasure is his family.

They did everything under the sky to make sure that he was alright and Peeta is grateful; he loves them for it, but he can’t help but feel like he’s missing that part in his mind that makes him able to convey it. Prim and Rye are boisterous and affectionate, unable to not pull him into their arms for hugs. Upon his arrival, Rye cried just seeing his baby brother on their couch.

They’re at the tail end of dinner when there’s a knock on the front door.

Katniss enters their dining room and Peeta immediately stands up at the sight of her. Her hair is down, raven waves framing her pretty face, and she wears a simple green dress that makes her look like a woodland pixie.

Everyone stares at his motion; his parents amused while his siblings look to him curiously.

“Sorry,” he mumbles as he sits back down, his eyes darting up just to see the wisp of a smile on her mouth.

“Katniss!” Prim rushes over, giving her a hug. “What are you doing here?”

“Rue and I made pies,” she explains shyly. “I know how much you like peach, so I brought it over.”

His mother, gracious hostess she is, goes to Katniss to take the pie pan from her.

“Thank you, Katniss! Go ahead and have a seat, sweetheart.”

His father grabs a spare chair, putting it between himself and Prim. He stands, so used to doing it during events at boarding school, as she sits and doesn’t hesitate to help push her seat in for her. He almost grins seeing that her feet are just a little bit off the ground before sitting down.

Katniss looks to him. “Welcome home.”

“Thank you,” he tells her quietly, his throat tight at the sight of her.

He learns that they moved into the house next door when she was ten after her father passed away. Also, that Katniss’ mother remarried three years ago, and Katniss has a stepsister, Rue, who is eight years old. By the way she talks about the young girl, it’s obvious they are close.

“I’m taking her to that carnival that just opened this weekend,” she tells his family as they eat dessert.

“I want to go!” Prim cries out excitedly. She is nineteen, but there is still that youthful excitement in her eyes. “May I please tag along?”

“Of course, Prim,” Katniss tells her. She looks around, before her eyes go to him. “All of you are invited.”

His parents decline, but Rye and Cashmere agreed, and his parents offer to babysit Sarah, his cherub looking niece, so they can have an actual date night.

“How about you, Peeta?” His father asks.

He nods immediately, his eyes going to the girl next to him. “Sounds like fun.”

++++++

As Peeta gets ready for bed, there’s a knock on his door and he is surprised to find his parents on the other side. He widens the door and they enter, his father sitting at the chair next to his desk and his mother at the end of his bed.

“We just wanted to check on you,” his father starts. “It’s been a long time since you’ve been home—almost fourteen years, actually.”

“I know,” Peeta replies and looks around. “Looks like you never changed the place. If I open my bedside drawer, am I going to find those mini chocolates I used to carry around?”

“You always did have a sweet tooth,” his mother says with a smile. “How are you, Peeta?”

“Some days are hard,” he admits. “But I can’t keep running anymore.”

“We’ve missed you,” his father tells him, his voice on the verge of weeping.

His father’s voice had only sounded like that once before; the day that Peeta woke up in a hospital bed screaming bloody murder, begging them to get that woman away from him.

“No matter what, she’s going to be part of me,” Peeta explains. “Part of my nightmares.”

His mother hurriedly brushes away her tears. “Oh sweetheart, we failed to protect you—”

He shook his head. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“You are our son,” his father intones. “We will always worry about you and want to take care of you.”

Peeta nods; his chest filling with that familiar heaviness that comes with the night.

“I’m tired,” he tells them, suddenly listless.

Both stand, his mother kissing his forehead and his father patting his shoulder before bidding him goodnight.

Sleep does not come.

++++++

“I’m so glad you’re home,” Prim tells him as they walked into the entryway of the carnival. “It’s been ages, really.”

“I’m happy that I’m back,” Peeta replies. “Why does this place look so familiar?”

“It’s part of the old campgrounds, remember?” Prim skips down the path towards the carousel. “Look! There’s Katniss!” She jogs ahead to go greet her friend, just as he sees an image in his mind of two children running out of the camping grounds to escape a madwoman.

Peeta makes his way over, his eyes on Katniss, her hair in a long braid. She is wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, with white sneakers on her tiny feet. Next to her is a young girl, mocha-skinned with wide almond eyes.

“Hello,” Katniss greets him with a friendly smile. “I’m glad you came.”

His mouth raises slightly. “Thanks for inviting us.”

Katniss puts a hand to the young girl’s shoulder. “Rue, this is Peeta. He’s Prim’s older brother.”

The girl stares up at him shyly. “Hello, Peeta. It’s nice to meet you.”

Kneeling before the girl, he holds out his hand. “Hello, Rue. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

His eyes go quickly to Katniss, who flushes as their eyes met.

Rue shakes his hand and then turns to her sister. “He’s cute.”

“Rue!” Katniss takes the young girl’s hand, avoiding his eyes.

“Well, he is!” Rue insists.

It is starting to get crowded; Prim has disappeared, and his eyes search anxiously for her.

“She went to get food,” Katniss informs him, seeing his concern. “Your sister has an ever-stretching stomach, skinny thing she is.” Her eyes go down to her own figure. “I look like I’ve obviously had too many desserts.”

Peeta looks her over quickly; she is definitely curvy, her waist small and her hips full—a true Botticelli, which he finds overwhelmingly appealing.

“You look perfect,” he finds himself saying. His hand suddenly reaches for hers and Katniss starts. “I don’t want to lose you, too.”

They head towards the concession stands in search of Prim; Katniss in the middle, her hands held by both Rue and Peeta.

“You’re only saying that because you’re Prim’s brother,” Katniss says, her gaze avoiding his.

“I shouldn’t be saying that because I’m Prim’s brother.”

++++++

_“You have to be quiet!” he demands under his breath. “You’ll make her angry.”_

_Her wrists and ankles hurt, and Katniss is getting tired of sitting up against the wall of the smelly, dusty house. Why did the lady never clean?_

_Her eyes wander to the teddy bear, sitting in the corner of the room, caked with dirt and its eye missing. Did that mean that there were other children here?_

_“I want to go home!” she wails._

_“Please Katniss…if you’re quiet, I’ll give you something to eat,” Peeta tells her. She quiets immediately and he offers her a smile. Though his hands are bound, he manages to reach into the pocket of his jacket to pull out a wrapped piece of chocolate. “Here you go.”_

_She unwraps it quickly before stuffing it into her mouth. “Thank you, Peeta.”_

_Katniss fails to notice that his own stomach grumbles with hunger._

++++++

Katniss sits up in bed, breathing heavily, as the remnants of the dream swim in her mind.

What was that?

She looks to her wrists and ankles—no marks.

It wasn’t real…the lady with the dark eyes and long, black hair…not real…

Laying back, she tries to close her eyes, but the faint taste of chocolate lingers in her mouth.

++++++

The night is humid and Peeta struggles to keep his body cool underneath the dress shirt he wears.

“Peeta, you should’ve borrowed something from Rye,” Prim tells him good-naturedly as they walk towards the stage. Around them, groups are setting up their picnic blankets for the summer concert that is an annual event in their town. “I’m taking you shopping tomorrow.”

“It’s not a big deal,” he assures her amusedly. “Am I cramping your style?”

“Of course not!” She entwines their arms. “You’re my very international older brother who my friends are dying to meet.” Her other hand shoots up. “There they are!”

His eyes go to the group of six; the two dark-haired men are obviously the Hawthorne brothers, beside them are two blondes, one tall and statuesque while the other is about Prim’s height with soft waves falling on her shoulders.

Then there is Katniss; tiny but breathtaking, in a blue knee-length dress.

“Hey guys!” Prim greets the group. “This is my brother Peeta. He just got back home a week ago.” She turns to the Hawthornes. “You know Gale and Vick.”

He shakes their hands and Gale gives him a friendly smile. “It’s been awhile, Peeta.”

Briefly, he remembers that he was in the same grade as Gale before he left. Were they friends before?

“Too long,” Peeta replies before shaking Vick’s hand. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Prim told us that you just left Mykonos before heading back,” Vick says in admiration. “You have to tell us all about it and all your other trips!”

“Yes, it can get a little stifling here,” the tall blonde adds, her deep blue eyes set on him. “Madge Undersee.”

“Nice to meet you,” he replies with an easy smile. Then, he goes to the shorter blonde. “Nice to meet you—”

“Delly Cartwright.” She is much more soft-spoken than Madge, her eyes less predatory than Madge’s as well. “Please make yourself comfortable.” She waves her hand to the array of food on their blanket. “I hope you’re hungry.”

“This looks great,” he tells her as he settles down next to Katniss and Prim who are chatting. “Did you cook all of this?”

“I own a café in town with my grandmother,” Delly explains. “I didn’t make the pie, though.” She smiles brightly at the dark-haired sprite next to him. “That was Katniss’ doing.”

Peeta turns to Katniss and she beams at him.

Finally, he can breathe again, the sight of her calming him. “What flavor is it this time?”

“Chocolate.”

She can’t quite meet his eyes after that.

++++++

The concert is a selection of popular 50’s songs covered by a popular local band.

Prim knows Thresh, one of the singers; he is the reason they scored such a great spot by the stage. As the night progresses, Peeta feels himself relax around the group. He tells them about the places he’s visited and finds himself realizing how fond he had been of the cobbled stone streets in the small sector of Paris that he lived in for six months.

“What did you do there?” Madge asks. She has moved closer to him while he subtly scoots closer to his sister and Katniss.

“Walked along the Seine…sat at cafes and people-watched…got lost in the Louvre…pretended I was an artist and attempted to sketch…” Madge and Vick look wistful, losing themselves in the romanticism of it all. Delly is amused when he mentioned people watching; she seems to be an intuitive one, someone who would, like himself, find interest in human behavior.

“We all can’t wander around the world,” Gale remarks, his tone slightly envious.

During his time with Prim’s friends, he notices how the older Hawthorne gazes at Katniss longingly. However, Katniss seems focused on Prim, and sometimes, on him.

“True, I was lucky to have the opportunity after graduating,” he says. “Boarding school was great when I was child. I needed the structure but, as I got older, it seemed that I needed to see what was beyond. I was lucky that my parents understood. I didn’t exactly ask them to help me get around, so I worked where I could.”

“What did you do?” Katniss asks.

Peeta turns to Katniss, giving her his full attention.

“I did what you do. I baked.” Her mouth widens in surprise and it thrills him to see how her eyes light up at his words. “In Paris, I worked at a boulangerie and baked every night. In Amsterdam, I learned how to make stroopwafels and in Spain, it was churros.”

“Then, how the fuck do you have abs?” Madge demands to know, and the group laughs. “Seriously, I can’t eat a piece of cake without my ass jiggling!”

“It’s the Mellark metabolism,” Katniss suggests. “I mean, look at Prim! She can eat and eat and look at her!”

“But the Mellark metabolism doesn’t seem work in my favor when it comes to alcohol,” Prim tells them, her eyes hazy. “I need some water.” She tries to get up but fails spectacularly. “Just give me a second…”

Katniss stands. “I’ll go grab some bottles.”

“Let me help,” he offers. Katniss doesn’t say a word, only nodding to the group before heading to the concession stands towards the back of their field. She is silent as they walk through the congested space, and he finds himself taking her hand once again. “The pie was really good.”

Katniss doesn’t pull away, though her eyes remain ahead. “Thanks. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“You should do it professionally,” he says.

Katniss finally turns to him.

“Lately, I’ve been thinking that I’d like to learn other baking techniques.” She smiles softly. “It’s a bit of a dream of mine to open a bakery here.”

“Oh yeah?” She nods bashfully. “I think you’d be great at it.”

“I don’t have much experience with other baked goods, so that might be an issue,” Katniss says as they reach the concession stand. “Seven waters, please.”

Peeta goes to his back pocket, pulling out a ten and handing it to the cashier.

“How about going to culinary school?” he suggests.

The cashier has been nice enough to give them carriers for the bottles. Katniss insists on taking one, so he grabs the other, not letting go of her hand. As they move towards the stage, he finds his senses heightened as the crowd closes in.

He lets go of her hand, winding his arm around her shoulders instead and pulling her to his side.

“To answer your question; school requires money, which I don’t have,” Katniss replies as they move closer to the group.

“I can give it to you,” he offers suddenly.

Katniss stops just short of Prim and the others, her eyes curious. The group watches their exchange in apt interest.

“Why would you do that?”

Peeta shrugs. “Because…”

_Because I want to take care of you._

He doesn’t know where the errant thought comes from.

However, his mind travels to a dusty room…a young girl with two dark braids…and his last piece of chocolate…

“Do you want to dance?” Katniss abruptly offers.

“What?”

She takes the carrier from his grasp and puts it on the ground along with hers, before holding out her hand.

“I don’t know how,” he admits anxiously.

“I’ll teach you.” Katniss reaches for his arm to wrap it around her waist before taking his other hand in hers. “There.” She smiles encouragingly. “All you have to do is move.”

_“Only you can make all this world seem right_

_Only you can make the darkness bright_

_Only you and you alone can thrill me like you do…”_

Katniss is a tiny one, her head just hitting his chest. He longs for her to rest it against him so that he can wrap his arms around her…protect her.

From what, he doesn’t know.

All Peeta knows is that this is where she was meant to be—in his arms, safe and sound.

His eyes spare a glance at the group’s reactions; Prim watches them through her buzzed eyes, a grin on her beer-laced lips, Delly with a gentle understanding, Vick with amusement at Katniss’ impromptu suggestion, Madge with envy, and Gale with resentment.

What they think means nothing to him, especially when Katniss rests her head against him.

_“When you hold my hand, I understand the magic that you do_

_You're my dream come true, my one and only you…”_

++++++

_She tells him to call her Mother._

_Katniss lays on his lap, exhaustion taking over as it gets closer to sunrise, and his nth day in this dilapidated room. Peeled yellow wallpaper hangs down the stained walls. There is no furniture, but there are cobwebs…so many cobwebs._

_“Wake her up,” the woman commands. “We’re going soon.”_

_She smiles at him, revealing perfect white teeth. The woman is beautiful; creamy white skin, perfectly made up with her lined eyes and ruby red lips._

_The look in her eyes, however, is unhinged._

_“Is Father coming soon?” he asks._

_She often speaks of “Father” who is supposed to be coming home from a business trip. Father who expected nothing but beautiful, obedient children._

_Silent children who never speak if they hear people walk by the house._

_The woman’s eyes blaze, and she makes a grab for his chin, squeezing it between her index finger and thumb painfully._

_“He’s not coming!” She screams at him. “Are you a fool? He did not want me! He made me kill my baby!”_

_Peeta whimpers as she reaches behind with her free hand to reveal a rope._

_She places it to Katniss’ neck, and he prays that Katniss doesn’t wake—her cries would only agitate the woman._

_“Such a pretty girl with such lovely hair,” the woman whispers. “Do you think her family would miss her? Would they cry for her? Would they mourn her?” She touches Katniss’ braid so softly before reaching into the pocket of her coat to take out a pair of scissors. “Or do you think that they would just forget her? Like I was forgotten…”_

_“DON’T! PLEASE!” he sobs. “I promise we won’t say anything! I will be quiet forever! No one will ever know! I promise! Please mother! PLEASE!”_

_Please God…someone…anyone…please keep Katniss from waking…keep her safe…_

_“Don’t cry.” The woman’s voice is suddenly gentle, and her hand reaches to touch his head tenderly. He looks up, eyes full of tears and snot dripping from his nose. Her gaze is resigned and sad, the hand holding the rope against Katniss pulling back. “There now. You’re a good boy, Peeta. You stayed with me till the end.”_

_She leans forward, pressing a kiss to his forehead, and he can see her tears against the dust of the floor._

_Peeta stares at the ground, his eyes focusing on her red heels as she stands to walk out of the room—rope in her grasp._

_“Goodbye Peeta.”_

_His eyes shoot up._

_“Don’t go! Please don’t do this! Don’t leave us…MOTHER!”_

++++++

Peeta rushes out to the back porch, breaths heaving as his body shakes violently.

He walks down to the grass of his backyard, vomiting his dinner all over his mother’s green grass before falling to his knees, sobbing hysterically, and lost in the memory of the woman’s final goodbye.

There is the bang of the back door and Peeta suddenly feels his father’s strong arms encircling him.

He rocks Peeta against him. “You’re home now. You’re safe…”

Peeta’s mother joins them, the scent of freesias solidifying her warm presence and his breathing begins to level.

“Go ahead and cry, love,” she urges “Get it out…”

They sit there in that vomit-wet grass until his legs feel strong enough to stand. Prim is at the open doorway, her blue eyes damp as their parents walk him up the steps.

His eyes drift to the porch next door.

Her grey eyes are deep with worry.

His dream-laden mind calls out to her:

_Please Katniss…please stay asleep…_

++++++

“Who really likes to go hiking?” Madge asks as they stand outside of the archway that leads them into the park.

“I don’t mind,” Delly says as she puts her backpack on.

“It’s good for you,” Gale cajoles Madge. “Separates the weak from the strong.”

“I’m self-admittedly weak,” Madge retorts.

“You’re so fit,” Katniss tells her admirably. She stands next to Peeta and Prim in a pair of leggings and a green hunting jacket. “I find that hard to believe.”

“You’re too sweet, Katniss.” Madge puts an arm around her shoulders as they all walk underneath the archway and towards the trail. “This is why you’re my favorite.”

“Hey!” Vick calls out to her. “What about me?”

Madge goes to him, batting her lashes. “You’re my favorite boy.”

Peeta and Prim follow behind, his sister’s concerned gaze on him.

He finally turns to her. “I’m alright, Prim.”

“Are you?”

“These things happen,” Peeta assures her. “I’m having them much less than I used to.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better at all,” his sister retorts. “How do I know that you’re not going to up and leave again?”

“Because no matter where I go, whatever this is will always be in me,” he tells her bluntly. “At least here, I’m not alone.”

Prim bites her lip and he knows that she wants to say something.

Instead, she nods and Peeta draws her into a hug.

“Go on and join your friends,” he tells her. “I prefer a slower walk.”

She squeezes his hand before heading to their group.

“I prefer a slower walk, too.”

Katniss is at his side.

Peeta takes her hand, lacing their fingers together.

She stares up at him, chest rising rapidly, and cheeks pink.

“There’s no crowd for me to get lost in.”

“I know.”

++++++

“Do you want to tell me what last week was about?”

Peeta turns to the woman curled up next to him on the bench. “We’re going to get right to it?”

“Yes,” Katniss replies bluntly. “I remember you when we were children—”

He looks to her in surprise. “You do?”

“You used to come into our class to pick up Prim,” she explains. “And, you always looked larger than life to me.”

He brushes his finger against her cheek affectionately. “I think everyone is larger than life to you, little.”

“Maybe it’s because your family is so rich and you live in this beautiful house,” she explains. “And, I lived in low-income housing where there were no backyards or flowers or even working locks on our doors.”

It explains how Katniss had found herself trapped with him. Did the woman take her from her bed? Or somehow persuade Katniss to come with her?

“That night, you looked so small,” Katniss tells him, her voice soft. “Will you tell me what happened?”

“I have nightmares,” Peeta tells her and she seems to recoil into herself. “A long time ago, something very bad happened to me.”

“What?” Katniss inches closer, her hand reaching to touch his wrist. He hisses instinctively. “Did I hurt you?” She pulls back the sleeve of his shirt and gasps. “Peeta, what is this?”

The scars from the cable ties are nothing but an inch of pink skin but, against his tanned skin, they stand out starkly. Katniss traces her finger along the scar, and he forces himself to breathe, to quell the feeling of sickness down as the memories rise to the surface.

“An accident,” he forces out.

“Is this why you left?” Peeta nods. “It must have been a bad accident if no one in your family will talk about it.”

“Do you remember anything about me—beside what you’ve told me?” he asks nervously.

“Not really.” Katniss gives him a smile. “Should I?”

“No, not really.” Peeta is relieved at her words. Standing up, he offers his hand and Katniss takes it willingly, almost eagerly. “We better go find everyone.”

He hates to leave their bench with its little wooden thatch roof.

“You ready?”

Gathering her backpack, Katniss stands to join him. “Ye—AHH!”

She turns, falling against him, and gasping as if something is choking the life out of her.

“Katniss, what’s wrong?” His eyes go to where she was sitting, and he finds a web along at the corner of the thatch. He quickly swipes it away before turning to the cowering girl, rocking back and forth on the ground. “You’re afraid of spiders.”

It isn’t a question.

She is afraid of spiders because of him.

++++++

_It has been quiet too long._

_There had been only one sound—a chair dropping. He remembers seeing the small wooden stool as the woman brought him into the house. Guiding Katniss off his lap, Peeta rolls onto his belly. The cable ties keep him from getting to his feet or pushing himself up, so he decides to slither into the other room._

_Peeta knows what he was likely to find, and he doesn’t want to see. Inching towards the room, he breathes a sigh of relief seeing the scissors on the floor, next to the woman’s shoes._

_“Don’t look up…” He can hear the creaks of the beam. “Don’t look up—”_

_“Peeta, what are you doing?” Katniss cries out._

_“Don’t look in here!” he screams; he knows he sounds mean, but he can’t let her see._

_So close…Peeta stretches with all his might, taking the scissors with his pinky finger—_

_“Peeta, what’s in there?” Peeta looks over his shoulder to see Katniss twisting to look through the open doorway._

_“A SPIDER!” He pushes back, trying not to think about the dangling feet above him. “Just don’t look, Katniss!”_

_“I hate spiders!” she wails, bursting into sobs as he makes his way back towards the room on his belly. “I want to go home…”_

_“We’re going home, Katniss.” He takes the scissors in his grasp, using it to free his bloodied ankles before cutting her wrist binds free. “Help cut these ties Katniss.”_

_Katniss frees him easily and he goes to work on the cable ties on her ankles._

_Carefully, he stands, slightly dizzy from having been in the same position for God knows how long._

_“Take my hand,” Peeta tells the young girl. “We need to get out of here.”_

++++++

“Is something going on between you and my brother?” Prim asks as they walk into the auditorium.

Katniss turns to her best friend uneasily. “No. Why do you ask?”

“Because you two hold hands,” her best friend replies with a sly grin. “Not like I’m against you two getting together. I love you both like crazy.”

“He worries about me getting lost in crowds—” Katniss reasons. “—me being so short and all.”

“Peeta is just trying to be chivalrous,” Prim tells her. “You’re part of the family. Not surprised that he’d want to protect you.”

Her chest warms at the thought.

As much as Katniss tries to deny it, she is very much attracted to Peeta. She loses herself often in his ocean eyes and the need to hold him…protect him overwhelm her senses.

It is so not like her to act like this around a boy.

However, that treacherous voice inside tells her that Peeta is not a boy, but a man—and maybe that’s what she needs.

“Here are our seats,” Prim calls out, pulling her away from thoughts of how Peeta’s hair always looks so soft to touch. “I can’t believe Madge is in a fashion show.”

It is a local show for a department store two towns away. Madge has invited them as well as Delly to come check it out.

“I can,” Katniss replies as they sit down. “She has legs for days!”

The show begins promptly five minutes later, just as Delly slips into her seat. “What did I miss?”

“Madge hasn’t come out,” Prim tells her. “So far, so good. What do you think Katniss?”

Katniss isn’t listening, her eyes on the model heading down the runway.

Long dark hair…red lips…trench coast…strutting towards her _._

_She was coming to take her back!_

Her face grows cold and she can hear the sound of blood rushing down her head.

Then, everything fades to black.

++++++

_Mommy says that Daddy is too sick to come home._

_Katniss goes to bed angry._

_She decides to go see Daddy; it has been so many days since they’ve played outside at the park. Her favorite is when Daddy pushes her on the swings, and she just pumps her legs to go higher as the sun shines in her face and the wind plays with her…_

_She would go see Daddy in the big building and help him get better._

_Walking past Mommy’s bedroom, she looks in and finds her in deep sleep. It is easy to get out of the house. Sometimes the lock doesn’t work, and they would put a chair against the knob._

_Tonight, Mommy forgot to do that._

_Outside it is quiet, but the moon is bright and big. She looks around trying to remember which way to the hospital._

_“What are you doing out?”_

_Katniss turns to see a beautiful woman with long black hair and dark eyes like her. She wears red lipstick like her Mommy used to when her and Daddy went on dates. Her long coat even looked like the one her Mommy wore during those dates!_

_“I’m going to the hospital to visit my Daddy,” she tells the lady. “What’s your name?”_

_The woman doesn’t answer. “I’m going to the hospital, too. Would you like to come?”_

_She holds her hand out to Katniss and the light of the moon shows scars against her wrist._

_Katniss is happy. Maybe it won’t take all night to see Daddy!_

_So, she takes the woman’s hand._

_When they arrive at the broken house and her eyes go to the boy sitting in the corner, Katniss knows that she will be in so much trouble with Mommy._

++++++

Peeta rushes down the long corridor, his family hurrying behind him. He had been with his parents at Rye and Cashmere’s house when they got the phone call from a sobbing Prim telling them that Katniss was in the hospital.

Rye volunteered to drive him along with their parents to the hospital, fearing that Peeta was not in the right state of mind to get himself there in one piece. The whole time, his anxious mind goes from one scenario to another and he could feel his scars begins to itch and burn.

His brother stopped him from breaking skin, one hand on the wheel and the other on his hand.

“She will be alright,” Rye assured him, sadness in his blue eyes.

Now they’re all looking for the right hallway, making another turn and Peeta is relieved to see Prim leaning against the wall.

“Prim!” he calls out and his sister run straight into his arms.

“It was horrible! One minute she was sitting there and the next she was sinking to the floor…” Prim pulls away, her face streaked with tears. “They think she went into some sort of shock.”

“What are they doing for her?” Peeta asks. “Should we call her parents?”

“They’re already with her,” Prim informs them before meeting his eyes. “She’s asking for you. It was the first thing she said as soon as she woke up.”

Peeta is already opening the door.

In the room, a woman with golden hair and man with Rue’s dark eyes sit by the bed. Their eyes widen as he bursts into the room.

However, his eyes focus on the woman sitting up in the bed, face grey and her eyes haunted.

“Peeta…” Katniss turns to him, anguish in her gaze. “I remember.”

He immediately goes to her, moving the siderail then wrapping his arms around her waist.

His head falls to her chest, feeling her heartbeat steady and strong, and her hand goes to his hair.

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs.

“Don’t be.” Katniss caresses his locks tenderly. “I wasn’t afraid…because you were with me.”

++++++

“How long were you there?” she asks when they are finally alone.

His parents and Rye have taken Katniss’ parents as well as Prim out to lunch. Katniss’ doctor assures them that she is not in any imminent danger, but they are running some customary tests before releasing her.

“A few days—at least, I think. I lost count at some point, and I never really wanted to ask my parents about what was on the official police reports.” He takes her hand sandwiching it between his own. “I don’t even know her name or anything about her. I don’t want to.”

Katniss nods in agreement.

“I understand.” Their eyes meet. “What I don’t understand is—how could I forget all of this?”

“You were five.” He caresses her face gently, trying to remove the distress off it. “You were in that house for a few hours. A child could easily mistake what happened as a dream.”

“Or a nightmare,” Katniss replies quietly. “For you, it was.” She whimpers suddenly, her eyes growing wet. “The spider—”

“It was her,” he admits quietly. “I couldn’t let you see. You told me about your Dad; how he was sick in the hospital and I knew he was probably going to die. I couldn’t let what she did be your first experience with death. You wouldn’t have understood. At least with your father, his death would be mourned and eventually the pain of losing him would heal. You would have never healed if you saw her.”

“But you saw her.”

“Only for a little bit,” Peeta says as he closes his eyes. “I could still hear the creak of the beams…feel the brush of air as her feet dangled—” He breathes out shakily. “For years, nightmares plagued me of that day. I couldn’t function; I couldn’t focus in fear that she would somehow come back. I knew she was dead, but when I closed my eyes, she was still standing before me.”

“Oh Peeta…” She looks so desperately sad for him. “You were only a boy and you took it all on yourself.”

“I wanted to keep you innocent.” Peeta’s thumb moves along her cheek, swiping away an escaped tear. “You reminded me that there was hope and good out there. I focused on you and you alone, promising myself that you would get out of there—even if I didn’t.”

“Don’t say that,” she cries. “I would have stayed with you. No one would’ve taken care of me the way you did.”

“I’m always going to protect you.” He reaches for her and Katniss falls into his arms. She belongs there. “I’m sorry that it took me so long to find you again.”

“You’re mine now,” she says against his chest. “You told me that I had to get older to find someone to love and marry.”

Peeta chuckles. “And, you told me that you would get older, but you would still love me and marry me.”

He knows that her promise stands true, strong and resilient.

Like them.

++++++

Time passes.

Katniss is released from the hospital and she returns home. Peeta remains at his parents, planning on eventually finding his own place in town. The fact that Katniss lives next door is the contributing factor for him choosing to stay in his childhood bedroom.

Eventually, he and Katniss gather their family together and tell them about their time with the woman; how the woman lured him away by asking him to help her with her luggage and offered him a drink which he had foolishly accepted. How he awoke to find himself bound. How she insisted that he and Katniss refer to her as Mother.

Their mothers wept at the admission.

Katniss explains how she discovered a way out of her childhood home; how the woman told her that she would take her to see her father in the hospital. She described her first memory of Peeta, how he had offered her his last piece of food—he didn’t tell her until then that it had been days since he ate.

They feel horrible when Prim gets physically sick when they tell them of that dark day.

How the woman yelled over being heart broken and killing her baby, how she placed the rope against a sleeping Katniss, how Peeta begged her…promised to keep silent…

“I kept that promise until now,” he tells their families. “But, I can’t anymore. Not if I want to move forward…if we want to move forward.”

His eyes go to Katniss, beautiful and pure, her grey eyes shining at him.

He continues, explaining how something had broken the woman. How, in those last minutes, she was kind and gentle to Peeta. How she had thanked him for being there till the end.

Prim rushes out of the room; Katniss follows to make sure she is alright as she retches in the downstairs bathroom.

When they return, Prim is pale and her eyes blood-shot, but she asks them to continue.

Katniss talks about waking up to see Peeta crawling on his belly into the other room—and how he had told her to not look. How there was a spider in the room and how she cried in fear—the arachnophobia still exists, though she knows now that she associates spiders with the woman.

Peeta tells them of crawling into the room to get the scissors, how he told himself to not look up at the woman—Rye wept at his words. He speaks of cutting them out of their bounds—cable ties still bring him to a state of panic—and how he instructed Katniss to close her eyes tightly as they walked out of the house.

“He brought me home,” she tells her parents. Rue has been left with a sitter. She is still too young to understand. In time, Katniss and Peeta will sit her down and tell her their story. “I don’t know how I managed to remember my address, but I did.”

“I went to the police station,” Peeta continues. “I barely made it passed the entrance before fainting.”

The story of the Mellark kidnapping had been kept under wraps by high-powered lawyers threatening to sue anyone who leaked the story.

Peeta talks about his eventual recovery, but how he suffers from PTSD and anxiety, barely able to make it through school. Eventually seeing how it had put such a strain on his family, he asked to leave—as far away as possible.

“We never wanted you to leave,” his mother tells him. “Your father and I argued over whether it was the best thing, but your psychiatrist agreed that maybe you needed time away—a more structured environment where there were no abrupt changes to your daily life.”

“It was for the best,” Peeta insists, looking to his parents. “I want to tell you how grateful I am to have you as my parents. You never pushed me to just get better, and you were patient when I was hard to love. You let me go even though I know it was the hardest thing in the world and you let me find my way back home.”

“We love you,” his father tells him gruffly. “We wouldn’t change a thing about you—not a single hair on your head—and we’ve felt that way since the day you were born to now.”

When it is over, emotionally drained, they all stand to leave.

Katniss’ mother Iris goes to him.

“Thank you for saving Katniss.” Her eyes are filled with tears. “From her father and I, we are eternally grateful.”

“No need to be thank me,” Peeta replies. “Katniss, in so many ways, saved me.”

+++++++

Six months later, Peeta moves into his own place.

It is a modest apartment above a pizza parlor in the main part of their town. His mother overzealously decorates his one bedroom, one bathroom abode with calming blues and greens. His father shows up a week after he moves in with two flatscreen televisions for his bedroom and living room while Rye, who is a technician, sets-up his internet for the new laptop that he gives Peeta as a housewarming gift.

Prim often comes to visit with their friends. Fridays eventually become ‘Dinners at Peeta’s house’ nights and the group invades his home; Delly takes over his kitchen while Katniss brings over whatever dessert she is experimenting with.

And at the end, once the food is eaten and the dishes washed, one person remains—Katniss.

They watch television in his living room and then eventually on his bed until they fall asleep.

Peeta still experiences nightmares at times. However, it is better when he wakes from them with Katniss in his arms.

She never pushes him, and he does the same. They know eventually they will talk about whatever they are going through. It is not in their nature to not share with each other; they know too much about one another already.

++++++

It takes them three times to actually kiss.

The first as they sit on his porch one month after her hospital release. It is raining and they sit out watching, enjoying the sound and the smell of wet grass. Katniss looks spectacularly beautiful, her grey eyes peaceful, and though it is cool, he can feel the low fire in his belly at the sight of her.

Their eyes meet and he pulls her close.

As he closes his eyes, the woman’s face flashes in his mind and he abruptly pulls away.

“I’m sorry,” he pants out.

Katniss is, of course, hurt. She stands up and walks back into his house to collect her things to go home.

However, when the night comes, he finds himself awakened by Katniss slipping into his bed.

Her head goes to his chest and her hand to his heart. “I understand.”

They are still plagued by those irrational fears, Katniss still goes numb at spiders or cobwebs and sometimes the woman’s face pops up to remind them that there are horrors in life.

Katniss always reminds him that there is hope.

He covers her hand with his. “Thank you.”

++++++

The second time comes a month after he’s moved into his apartment.

He wakes up to Katniss thrashing in bed, sheets tangling in her struggle.

“Spider…go away! Cobwebs…cobwebs…too many…”

“Katniss—” She shoots up, scratching at the air and sobbing. “—what happened?”

“Peeta…” Her head falls against him and he gathers her close, pulling her onto his lap. “I was trapped! She was the spider and you were on other side of the web—I couldn’t get to you! There were too many cobwebs.” Katniss meets his eyes, her own glittering with tears. “She killed you Peeta. She killed you and I couldn’t do anything but watch…”

“It was just a dream,” he reassures her, rocking her in his arms. “It isn’t real.”

“Sometimes I don’t know what is real and not real,” she whispers against him tiredly.

“We are real.” Katniss lifts her head to meet his eyes and he smiles tenderly at her. “You and me. We’re always going to be. I can’t offer anything else to you, Katniss, broken man that I am, except my promise to love you forever.”

Her hand reaches to cup his cheek.

“I love you, too.” The faint heat returns and Peeta feels the needy burn to kiss her. Katniss presses herself against him and he knows she feels it too—this hunger beginning to grow. “ _Please_ Peeta.”

The fire flares.

“Not now,” he tells her tightly…reluctantly. “Not after you’ve had this nightmare.”

Katniss understands, breathing out. “Then just stay here.”

_Always._

++++++

A year later, they go to Paris.

They rent the small apartment that he used to live in. Peeta takes her to the boulangerie where he used to work so the owners—Monsieur Latier and his wife Wiress—can coo over his ‘petite amie’ and then teach her how to properly make baguettes and croissants to her heart’s content.

He begins to draw again; small sketches in a journal that he plans to give Katniss after their trip is over. His favorite drawings are of Katniss…smiling as she watches the sunset out of their window…walking the cobbled streets in her dark green hunting jacket…staring at him with those dark, hungry as she lays on their bed without a stitch on…

Their last night in Paris, Peeta presents her with the journal, complete with daily writings of his thoughts, photographs, recipes from Monsieur and Madame Latier, sketches of her.

She weeps seeing all the work that has gone into it.

“I want to make great memories with you,” he simply tells her.

They make themselves a simple dinner, a bottle of red wine accompanying it. Then, they watch the sunset from their open window, Katniss perches between his legs and her head rests back on his chest. He weaves his arms around her, pulling her close, and she hums her contentment.

“This feels like home,” she says happily.

Peeta presses a kiss to the top of her head. “You are home.”

There is a sudden shift in the air, and he finds Katniss facing him, her fingers reaching to cradle his chin and his breath catches at the sensation. Her gaze goes to his lips and the hunger returns, desperate and calling out to her.

“Please Katniss,” he finds himself saying.

She smiles and leans forward, pressing her mouth to his.

_Fire._

After, as they lay together, sated after another kind of joining, Peeta gazes down at the Katniss, peppering kisses against her chin, savoring her taste, and thanking God for every moment they have now and whatever is beyond that.

“Marry me,” he whispers.

“Yes,” she replies, smiling up at him. “Even though I asked you first.”

And for the rest of the night, there are no words and there are no nightmares.

++++++

Now, there is another dark-haired girl with two long braids, and another blond boy. The girl’s eyes are his deep blues, while the boy, still learning to walk, has inherited his mother’s lovely greys.

Peeta watches them play in the backyard of the bakery that had once been a pipe dream of Katniss’. He bought the property below his old apartment as an anniversary present—enthusiasm in her thank you led to the conception of their daughter in its kitchen.

They are moderately wealthy, business is steady, and they are happy—most of the time. Some days they struggle with nightmares or terrors, but in the end, they hold onto one another and it makes them stronger.

His wife joins him on the steps of their porch.

Immediately, his hand reaches for hers.

Peeta takes a deep breath and closes his eyes without fear, enjoying the sweet scent of Katniss and the sound of their children playing.

**FIN.**


End file.
